Thursday, 9 July 2015 (Part I)
Santa Fe Skies RV Park — Santa Fe, New Mexico
Temps: Hi 72F (22C) / Lo 53F (12C)
The recorded high for the day might have been 72F (22C) … but it sure felt a lot hotter in the sun! No matter; we found plenty of places in Historic Santa Fe where we could seek shade.
Santa Fe — meaning “holy faith” in Spanish — was established in 1610, making it the oldest capital in the US; and the oldest city in New Mexico … the Land of Enchantment as the state is nicknamed. As such, there is a lot of history to enjoy … much of it preserved in landmarks in and around the city.
After a long travel day, we took it easy this morning, heading into downtown Santa Fe close to 11:00a. Our first stop was the Visitor Center, across the street from the State Capitol. Our goal was to get an idea of a few things to do in the immediate vicinity — both on good-weather days as well as rainy ones. Turns out we didn’t have to worry about the 40% chance of rain forecasted … all the wet stuff we got today fell overnight and into the wee hours of this morning.
With a list of things to do and a map of the historic area tucked into my bag, we headed to a parking lot on Water Street, just a block off the famed Santa Fe Plaza. By this time, it was well nigh on noon, and the beast — Mui’s tummy — was looking to be fed. So, first order of business was to find a place to have lunch. Spotting Café Pasqual’s across the street from the lot, we headed in that direction. Named as it is for the folk saint of Mexican/New Mexican kitchens and cooks, we knew it had to be serving good food! Kidding — Mui had checked out reviews on TripAdvisor and knew it came highly recommended.
The mural is painted by Oaxacan artist Leogivildo Martinez, and is one of the
scenes on the walls of Pasqual’s that depicts “the moon reveling at her fiesta.”
Pasqual’s is tiny, with tables set close together. Our timing being what it was, the place was hopping. Agreeing to share a table with others, it didn’t take long before we were seated at a table with Carol … visiting from Las Vegas. She shared lots of tidbits and recommendations about Santa Fe, the conversation flowed freely, the food was really good … in other words, a fun lunch experience.
Another L.Martinez mural scene decorates the front of Pasqual’s menu.
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Left: Toasted BLT with green chile and chile bacon. (Chile rubbed bacon, roasted
green chile strips, melted Jack cheese, tomato, mayo, toasted chile-cornbread;
served with a choice of home fried potatoes, organic field greens salad, or kale .
[The chiles were too spicy for me; but the strips were easily removable.]
Right: Grilled Green Chile Bison Cheese Burger, with caramelized onions, melted
Jack cheese … all on an English muffin; served with the same sides described above.
[Mui ordered the kale salad and it was really delicious.]
After that most satisfying meal, we set off on a slow walk, window-shopping the many stores on our way to do some sightseeing. When it started to sprinkle, we debated ducking into a museum, but before we could say “Let’s do it,” the sun was out and the sprinkles were gone.
A beautiful mural on a wall in the Allan Houser Art Park.
I especially like the three-dimensional way the sand at the base is piled up.
A two-for-one photo of the IAIA [Institute of American Indian Arts] columns, with a
peek at our first sightseeing stop — the Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi.
The columns are painted by a renowned Cherokee/Creek/Osage artist. More Info here.
[I won’t rant about all the vehicles parked on the street … but I wasn’t happy.]
The Cathedral Basilica of St Francis of Assisi — abbreviated to St Francis Cathedral — is named for the Patron Saint of the city. It sits on the site where the first church was built in 1610 … the same year Santa Fe was founded. The adobe church that replaced the first one in 1630 was in use for 50 years, until it was destroyed during the Pueblo Indian Revolt. Although the Spaniards returned to the area in 1693, it took over 20 years before they could build another church. When the current Cathedral was built beginning in 1869, only a small chapel from the previous church was kept.
The current Cathedral was built between 1869-1887 around the previous church. When the
construction was completed, the old church was dismantled and removed through the
front door. Note the incomplete spires; which were never built due to lack of funds.
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Left: St Francis of Assisi welcomes visitors to the Cathedral Basilica.
Right: Sharing the front courtyard is Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Indian saint of North America.
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Left: Saint Francis of Assisi Dancing on Water.
Right: memorial honoring the original settlers that are buried here.
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The wooden doors at the main entry into the Cathedral are decorated with bronze scenes
from the history of the Church in Santa Fe. Represented here are the years: 1625, 1680, and 1693.
Looking down the main nave towards the Sanctuary.
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Left: The altar screen, added for the 100th anniversary of the Cathedral, displays an 18th
century statue of St Francis surrounded by painted images of the saints of the New World.
Right: the San Damiano Crucifix is a replica of the one in Assisi, Italy. According to tradition:
the Lord leaned down from the crucifix and said; "Francis, go and repair my house.
Lining the walls on either side of the nave are beautiful stained glass windows imported from France. I itched to photograph them. Unfortunately lights hanging from the ceiling blocked my line of sight, and the only way to photograph them was at an angle … something I don’t care to do.
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The rose window and one of several stained glass windows depicting the Twelve Apostles.
The baptismal font is unlike any other I’ve seen in our travels thus far. In many ways, it reminded me of a fountain one might find in a park. Turns out it’s packed with all kinds of symbolism. I forgot to take a photo of the nearby sign, so here’s the description from Wikipedia:
… The baptismal font is in the center of the nave. Made of Brazilian granite, … . The eight-sided form represents the 8th day, or Easter, marking God's New Creation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The basin is a cruciform, with three steps representative of the 3 days between Jesus' crucifixion and his resurrection. The rill symbolizes the four Evangelists, who cast their nets to catch men. Its location directly between the doors and the altar is representative of the faith journey.
The Baptismal Font is halfway down the nave.
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A selection of the Stations of the cross done in New Mexico Mission Style.
Decorative trim painted on the walls of the cathedral.
Lastly, we visited the small chapel that was retained from the previous church that stood on the grounds. The chapel is named for La Conquistadora … a statue of the Virgin Mary that was brought to New Mexico in 1625 [see the first bronze door panel posted above]. Known as Our Lady of the Assumption originally, the sculpture sits in the center pedestal of the altar. It is said to be the oldest Madonna in the US.
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Brought to New Mexico as a more traditionally attired Virgin Mary, the statue was
garbed in the style of a Spanish Queen by the devotees of a Marian confraternity to
which all the colonists belonged. Though she was named Our Lady of the Rosary,
she was familiarly known to everyone as La Conquistadora, because she had “come
in the days of their founding parents and grandparents, the ‘conquistadores’.”
[more information is available from the scanned copy of the brochure we picked up.]
One of the things I found interesting about the church is that Igor Stravinsky, Russian born composer, pianist, and conductor conducted several free performances in the St Francis Cathedral. The performances were free to the people of Santa Fe.
Leaving St Francis, we briefly explored the adjacent city park and moved on to some of the other landmarks of interest. I’m going to leave all those to another post, and wrap this one up with a couple of images that seem fitting to such an artsy city.
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From elaborate sculptures to simple murals, art is around every corner in Santa Fe.
See you for the rest of our a-wanderin’ tour …
We really enjoyed our day in Santa Fe also. And, we are at that exact restaurant. Excellent lunch.
ReplyDeleteI spent so much time in the Cathedral, that Paul said....I will meet you outside. I loved it and the garden. You photos captured some of the beauty and intriguie of this holy place.
I love Santa Fe, and it seems as if you are making the most of your time there. One of my favorite things about the city, and New Mexico in general, is the food. Tim lived in New Mexico for quite a while, and he has turned me into a lover of green chilis. There are mild varieties, so don't give up on them yet! I'm looking forward to your explorations of the state.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos, esp of and in the cathedral.
ReplyDeleteBeen there several times, but, as usual, you got more out of it.
ReplyDeleteGreat tour:) Always enjoy the murals.
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